Vatican butler who stole former pope’s private papers dies aged 54

Pope Benedict XVI, right, arrives in St Peter’s square at the Vatican for a general audience as his then-butler Paolo Gabriele, bottom, and his personal secretary Georg Gaenswein sitting in the car with him (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)

Paolo Gabriele, the Vatican butler who was convicted of stealing and leaking Pope Benedict XVI’s private papers in 2012, has died aged 54.

Vatican News, the Holy See’s media portal, said Mr Gabriele died on Tuesday after a long, undisclosed illness.